Meb Keflezighi, in his final Boston Marathon, calls it a 'thrill of a lifetime'

"I'm so delighted to be here," he said, a towel draped across his shoulders after he crossed the finish line. "My first [marathon], I said, 'I never want to do this again.' And today I feel the same way."

He signed up for the New York Marathon, he added, so he has "one more" to get under his belt.

Reflecting on his race Monday, Keflezighi said the crowd was fascinating, and it was a "thrill of a lifetime" to participate in the event.

"The crowd gets you through, and I'm just delighted to come to that finish line," he said. "My body is aching pretty bad right now."